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Thursday, May 8, 2014

Look What I Found

After only one night in high-priced snotty Canmore, I drove back to Banff and found my new little paradise in an overflow camping with self- registration. It lasted for just about 30 minutes until a flashy Ranger SUV parked behind my rig. I was approached by a nice-enough lady-officer asking about when I had arrived and whether I had filled out a registration form. I showed her the tear-off part after which she told me that the area was actually closed even though the gate had been open. By now her partner had come over as well and I told them I had already paid for 14 days by cheque.It was then made clear that they were gonna lock the gate but that I could stay one night and go back to Tunnel Mountain. (at the rate of 32:50/day) My check would be returned, of course.Two-Jack-Lake

But I did not go back to Tunnel Mountain but found a quiet place at the Bow River Prov. Park outside of Canmore. It’s a no-service site @ $23/day (which is still way too much) and they allow a stay upto 16 nights. Then I would have to move before being able to come back. (what nonsens)But it starts dawning on me that I probably can neither stay in Banff nor with my work. If Banff has no long-term accommodations to offer, and that at reasonable rates, there will be no way that I will spend most of my wages on a simple place to park my trailer. So there MUST be a solution to this.Lake Minnewanka still under iceWhat that solution is gonna be is way too early to say, but I am not going to enslave myself just to enrich the National Park, or worse, some private nose-in-the-sky campground owners.

Another example of the same was my morning conversation with the caretaker of a Canmore Campground. I had made an offer for a monthly fee of $600.00 for 6 months, but the owner is rich enough to decline such offer and rather wait for some well-to-do weekenders which will pay $35/night and some extra bucks for using the shower.

Anyway. I needed a diversion of my thoughts, and went for a little evening ride along the Lake Minnewanka-loop. When I came to Two-Jack-Lake I turned off the road and went down to the open water. What I saw down there I could hardly believe. A couple was just getting ready to put on divers dry-suits. I couldn’t but go and ask what in the world they were planning on. Turned out they were originally Quebecers, but living in Cochrane,AB. Every year they would be coming out here after the last ice was gone and go for a dive. This water MUST have been barely above 32F, when they finally walked out into the lake and finally dropped off view.

I told them they were going to be world-famous which made them take up position with a friendly wave before they went under.Breath-taking beauty!While in Canmore this morning, I got my trailer inspected at Canadian Tire and got a brand new license plate at the registry office. I am glad this is finally settled and that the trailer is now legally imported.And that would be all to report from the “New West”. Thanks again for dropping by!

10 comments:

Why not just stealth camp in your ambulance? You could always park at any hospital without being noticed. Free, though not too many amenities. Or...maybe check Craigslist for a private spot to park the trailer.

What gorgeous pictures you have! I hate having to worry about where we're going to stay next. That's so stressful. Hopefully, you'll find something soon. Those places are terribly expensive for what they are giving you.

Wow! Thanks for the nice pictures!!! I totally forgot we had met there until tonight... What a great surprise to see we are now world-famous :-) For Karen, there is not much to see in this lake... it is a place we go when we are in need of diving, which is the case after a long winter! We dive there because we need to enjoy making bubbles underwater.